Denver Transplants: Feedback After the Move (Aguilar, Empire: lender, how much, home)

[guyatwork37]

Through some work and some personal visits, I have spent time in a lot of major cities around the US. I've been mulling over the thought of moving away from Los Angeles where I have was born and raised for 30 years. I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful baby boy. I have a very stable job and make a good living, as does my wife. However, we both feel that we could be doing "better" or at a minimum give our little man a chance at something "better". What better is? We're not really sure, but we don't feel that we are getting ahead or fulfilling ourselves in our current home.

During our conversations, we always come back to Denver as we have both been and both love the city and suburbs (we're suburb people to be honest). However, we're both just scared to make such a move. Our family is here. Our friends are here. Everything we know is here. But "here" has become less and less desirable to us as we've become jaded with this city. I understand people love it, but it's not for us.

I've wanted to post and get the thoughts of people who have made the move and how they have found Denver. How was leaving your family and friends behind? How was the move to a new place? Was it what you were expecting? Do you miss home? Do you have any regrets? And ultimately, was it worth it?

I know people have lots of different reasons for moving, and I'm curious to hear the stories. I guess I will never know if I'm making the right decision until I actually do it, but it's always best to gather as much information as you can when making any decision.

For anyone that shares, thanks for doing so!

TL;DR - How was moving to Denver? Why'd you move and has it been worth it?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

TL;DR - How was moving to Denver? Why'd you move and has it been worth it?

I'm 30. I grew up in the Inland Empire. I left there when I was 20, and after a 3 year stop in the Mojave Desert, I moved to Denver at 23.

I wanted to leave So. Cal from the time I was a teen. I put a lot of thought and research into it (I wanted snow/big city/Del Taco). Somehow, Denver ended up at the top of the research heap.

If you leave LA, what will you/wife do for work?
What is it about LA that makes you feel like can't be better?

I know what you mean by "better", like there has to be a better life than "this" somewhere else, and there is.

I've found that I couldn't have gone on and lived MY life if I had stayed in So. Cal with my family/friends. I feel like I'd still be in the same rut I was in when I was 20. There are things that I miss, but not enough for me to think about going back.

I've built my entire adult life here, for all of my family to see back home from afar. Denver has thrown me enough curveballs (and change-ups, down the middle) for me to not even remember what I expected when I left. I have ZERO regrets, and it was extremely worth it. I'm still in the process of completing my original Colorado dream.

More questions, ask away.

[davebarnes]

I moved to Colo Spgs at age 31 because #1 wife got an awesome job offer. Divorced at 33.
Moved to Denver in 1982.
Married a native.
Would never leave.
Job not relevant.
#2 wife, very much so.
Weather is great (after New England and upstate NY).
Cost of living (compared with New England) is very good.
I love it here.

[gerrythesnake]

Make sure you never divorce because Colorado has the worst divorce laws in America

[guyatwork37]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

I'm 30. I grew up in the Inland Empire. I left there when I was 20, and after a 3 year stop in the Mojave Desert, I moved to Denver at 23.

I wanted to leave So. Cal from the time I was a teen. I put a lot of thought and research into it (I wanted snow/big city/Del Taco). Somehow, Denver ended up at the top of the research heap.

If you leave LA, what will you/wife do for work?
What is it about LA that makes you feel like can't be better?

I know what you mean by "better", like there has to be a better life than "this" somewhere else, and there is.

I've found that I couldn't have gone on and lived MY life if I had stayed in So. Cal with my family/friends. I feel like I'd still be in the same rut I was in when I was 20. There are things that I miss, but not enough for me to think about going back.

I've built my entire adult life here, for all of my family to see back home from afar. Denver has thrown me enough curveballs (and change-ups, down the middle) for me to not even remember what I expected when I left. I have ZERO regrets, and it was extremely worth it. I'm still in the process of completing my original Colorado dream.

More questions, ask away.

I've probably been on a drive to leave So. Cal. when I was 25 mostly due to a few reasons:

1) Overcrowding (and everything that goes along with this)
2) Cost of living
3) Safety (or maybe just perceived feeling of safety)
4) Schools

As for employment, I work in finance and could easily enough get a job at a lender in Denver or in a related field at any company really. My wife works in human resources, with a specialization on immigration and relocation. I haven't really looked at the job market, but I think I have enough transferable skills to find something I were to go down that route.

I have done a fair amount of research over the year, and Denver has been at or near the top of most lists/survey result/ etc. that I have come across.

What have been some of the drawbacks (if any) to moving there from So. Cal.? Obvious it's not the same weather, but I'm not deterred by that. What do you miss from So. Cal.? Was it an easy transition?

These are the things that I worry about when considering a move anywhere to be honest.

[canewbie]

I think a question to ask yourself is what life do you want for your son?

...What weather? Amenities? Weekends with the grandparents or cousins? Once a year with the grandparents? Mountains? Beach? What activities do you want to do with him as he grows up? How much time do you have to spend at work now and does work interrupt your home time with calls or emails? Is that work/life balance going to be the same in your new potential location? How much of your life do you have to or will you have to spend in traffic... If you move and change your mind, how difficult will it be to move back?

Good luck as you weigh your options. If you are wanting a better life for your family and don't feel like LA is a good fit, it is nice to be able to try a move while your son is young and hasn't built strong friendships or school ties.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

What have been some of the drawbacks (if any) to moving there from So. Cal.? Obvious it's not the same weather, but I'm not deterred by that. What do you miss from So. Cal.? Was it an easy transition?

These are the things that I worry about when considering a move anywhere to be honest.

Yes, it was a fairly easy transition. There wouldn't be much culture shock, per se. Much of Denver metro feels pretty plain, and there's probably a larger percentage of the professional classes than you would notice in LA (not as working class/poor here). There's a noticeable dearth of mom/pop restaurants here, by way of comparison, if that's a concern.

I really don't miss much else, like the smog and traffic. There's plenty to do here.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

I have a very stable job and make a good living, as does my wife. Our family is here. Our friends are here.
TL;DR - How was moving to Denver? Why'd you move and has it been worth it?

You need to start appreciating what you have. If you move here you will be one of the ones that moves back. You are undervaluing some of the most important things in life, good living, stable jobs, friends and family to chase a rainbow with unicorns riding under it. Stay put and be happy.

As for myself I moved here 20 yrs ago from N. California. I love it. I had no family in N. Cal. I had some good friends and we stayed in touch for about 10 yrs but have drifted apart for the last 10. I moved here because I had a good job offer with alot of opportunity and I wanted to be able to afford a house. Both worked out well. I love the easy access to hiking and the size and amenities of the city.

If I was in an area where I made a good living, had a stable job, good friends and family would I move from it? Not a chance.

[mundele]

i grew up in chicago, went to school in wisconsin, then spent my 20s in chicago but by 30 i was starting to feel like the OP. i was plotting a way out of chicago when i met a girl who was heading to DU for grad school. after dating for a while, she moved out here and i moved too since i really liked the area and figured it was a good place to try out. we ended up getting married and then moved overseas, not planning to return to the us for a while.

after a few years, we realized that an expat life wasn't what we wanted long-term so we decided to move back to the us. after looking at chicago, pittsburgh, and portland we settled on denver. why denver, when we could have picked anywhere? i had a solid job offer (no small feat in mid-2010), we had friends in the area, loved the outdoors and weather, and cost of living wasn't too bad compared to other major cities.

now we have a kid and i look forward to watching her grow up here where she can go hiking, skiing, camping, rock climbing, etc. i will say that it's hard not being by our families, who are in chicago and pittsburgh, but they're a short flight away and we see them a few times a year. back when i originally moved here, it was hard leaving behind friends and relationships i had built up over years and years. however, i'm also starting new ones here and there's lots of transplants who are in the same boat. i realize that as a lot of my friends were entering their 30s and having kids, their lives were getting busier just as mine was, and even if i lived in chicago i don't know that i would see them as much as i did in my 20s.

i miss the food in chicago as well as the diversity. i can experience those things in a weekend trip back, though. i'd rather live where there's great weather and lots to do every weekend. i've got a job out here that i love and live in a neighborhood i really dig. got no plans to leave.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by mic111

You need to start appreciating what you have. If you move here you will be one of the ones that moves back. You are undervaluing some of the most important things in life, good living, stable jobs, friends and family to chase a rainbow with unicorns riding under it. Stay put and be happy.

As for myself I moved here 20 yrs ago from N. California. I love it. I had no family in N. Cal. I had some good friends and we stayed in touch for about 10 yrs but have drifted apart for the last 10. I moved here because I had a good job offer with alot of opportunity and I wanted to be able to afford a house. Both worked out well. I love the easy access to hiking and the size and amenities of the city.

If I was in an area where I made a good living, had a stable job, good friends and family would I move from it? Not a chance.

Not a fair assessment at all. I have some new friends who just moved here from Phoenix and left a very similar situation. They could not be happier.